The Tale of Death and the Three Brothers
by Mystery Mermaid
Summary: What if Death in Beedle's tale was Death from Discworld? Every perspective has a different story.


Death was used to visiting outside of the Disc. He just preferred the Disc because other worlds were more complicated. Right down to their shape. Why any sensible planet would want to be round like a ball instead of a disc, he would never know. Weren't the inhabitants afraid of hanging upside down or falling off? And why must it spin so much? At least the Great A'tuin was careful where he swam.

Well, that wasn't concern. It never was. His job was only to clean up the mess. Right now, there was going to be a mess of three from the look of the hourglasses. Three brothers trying to cross a stream. Death showed up the same time they did, waiting on the other side of the river. He didn't like to watch, but he wanted to make sure he was there good and early. In case they died good and early, which was often. Instead of trying to swim, building a bridge or raft, or anything foolish, the three brothers each took out a wand. Using some elegant waving and a funny language, a bridge formed out of thin air.

**Ah, wizards, **said Death. Every world had its own magic rules. This world's used words just like the Disc's wizardry. Except these wizards used wands instead of staffs. Must be easier to carry around. Also, witches weren't restricted to a different magic form. It was all the same. Even in this world, wizards and witches had a habit of cheating Death. Well, not necessarily cheating, just delaying.

Death wondered whether it would be better to leave or wait around, but even he couldn't predict the time of departure. He then realized the brothers had stopped at the end of the bridge and were now staring at him. Of course. Even in this world, wizards could see him.

**I suppose congratulations are in order, **he said.

"You're Death," the eldest observed (Death guessed it was the eldest because he was the only one with a beard).

**Ten out of ten for observation.**

"Have you come for us?" asked the second brother, shaking.

**I did, but for once you humans fixed your own problem. **

"Then we have cheated you!" the same brother exclaimed.

If Death had eyes, he would have rolled them. **When will you mortals learn you can't cheat death, you only prolong it?**

"Whatever you call it," said the eldest brother. "No one else can brag of such an accomplishment."

**It's not really worth bragging about. Many people have-**

"Therefore, we deserve rewards."

**That's not part of my job. **

"Who decides your job?" asked the third brother. It was the first time he spoke.

**Fate. Destiny. The lot of them.**

"Perhaps it is fate that we survived," said the second brother. "And our destiny to be rewarded."

Death sighed. Next to prolonging the inevitable, a wizard's worst habit was twisting logic. It didn't make sense, yet somehow still made sense.

**Very well. Ask and ye shall receive. **

The eldest brother stepped forward with his back straight and chin up. "I want a wand more powerful then any in existence. A wand that will always win duels for its owner."

Of course, the eldest would be the most arrogant. For some reason, every story had to have three siblings, always the same sex, and the first was the worst while the third was the best. Either being first was cursed, or Fate had family problems. **I'll give you a wand, but it won't be any different than other wands. They all work the same.**

"This wand must be worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!"

**You didn't conquer me, **Death muttered, but he fashioned a wand from an elder branch. **Here you are. The most powerful wand in the world. Of course, you realize it's only, **the eldest snatched the wand and ran past him. **A title, **Death finished. No helping him now. Might as well move on.

The second brother waited desperately as if he was waiting for the bathroom. "I want the power to recall others from Death."

Death forgot about the dreaded Middle Child Syndrome. If the first was cursed the worst, the second always craved the attention only found in the oldest and youngest.

**You're trying to humiliate me, aren't you?**

"Me?" the brother asked innocently.

**So you can humiliate your brothers?**

"Of course not! I only want to save my beloved."

**I'm not allowed to do that. Remember Fate, Destiny, the lot? They always get on my case.**

"They could get on your case for breaking a promise."

That was true. Broken deals never looked good on resumes. **All right then. **He plucked a stone from the river, sprinkled some sands of time, and rubbed it with a skeletal finger. **Turn it three times, since that's always the magic number, and you can see the dead. Now, before you get too excited, **but the second brother already snatched the stone as eagerly as the first had snatched the want and took off. Death sighed. If the man had listened, Death could have warned him that it doesn't actually bring the dead back. Just a temporary projection. Kind of like how a godmother gives girls until midnight for a party so the spirits don't get on her back for reckless magic. Not that it didn't cause problems, like rushed marriages. May as well get the last one over with.

The third brother looked at Death distrustfully. If this brother was the wisest, as the youngest usually was, maybe he would let Death off the hook. "I only want something that will let me go forth without being followed."

**I wasn't going to follow you. **

"Well, I," the man hesitated. "I don't want anyone to follow me."

**No one ever does. No one ever trusts Death either. **

"Can you blame anyone?"

**You know I don't really kill people. I have my own restrictions. **

"Well, you agreed to grant our requests."

**So I did. **Death used his sheath to cleanly slice off a piece of his cloak. When the rest of the dark fabric fell away, it stayed the same length it always had. **If you wear this, no one will see you.**

"An invisibility cloak?"

**Sort of. No one sees Death because they don't want to. So they won't see Death's cloak because they don't want to see anyone wearing Death's cloak.**

"Then it really is an invisibility cloak?"

**Yes, I suppose. **The brother accepted the garment and went on his way. **Mortals are so demanding. **He returned to his world before anyone else tried to make a deal with him.

A week later, he returned to the sphere to reap the eldest brother. His throat had been slit for the Elder Wand, as it was now called.

"You cheated me!" the ghost accused.

**You cheated yourself. I told you, it's just like any other wand. The real power comes in the title.**

"You didn't tell me that."

**I tried but you wouldn't listen. Anyway, you used a killing spell that can easily be done on an ordinary wand. Because you bragged about its power, you were killed without any magic. Humans are so greedy; you only have to promise power and they'll tear each other's throats for. Er, no pun intended.**

"Then it was a trick."

**I told you, you didn't conquer me. You just gave yourself an extra week to live.**

That day, Death retrieved the second brother. He had hanged himself after using the Resurrection Stone to revive his deceased fiancé. Or at least, a projection of her. He accused Death in the same manner as his brother.

**It's not my fault you boys are terrible listeners. I told you I can't revive the dead. Not permanently at least.**

"You killed my love!" the second brother sobbed.

**I never kill. I only collect. Now if you are quite done blubbering, we should move on.**

The ghost stopped crying. "Will my love be there?"

**Yes, but I'm not sure she wants to see you.**

"Why?"

**Her death was untimely, correct?**

"Yes."

**She was young and healthy?"**

"Yes."

**Isn't it a coincidence that she died the day before your marriage?**

Death didn't have to take the third brother that same day. There was no destruction in an Invisibility Cloak (Death finally accepted that that's what it was). Unlike the other two, the youngest used his gift to avoid rivals and unwanted relatives. It came in handy when he needed to get away from tiring social events. Typical third child wisdom.

That left Death with his usual job. The third brother reached a great age before his Sands of Time ran out. When Death came for him, the brother didn't gave his cloak to his son.

"Been a while, old friend," he greeted

**I'm a friend now? What happened to distrust?**

"What can I say? The cloak came in handy."

**Glad bribery still builds trust. Though I must admit, you did make the best choice.**

The man smiled. "Do you know why the youngest always last the longest?"

**Why?**

"We learn from our elders."

The third brother's son wrote the story as he remembered his father telling him. In time Beedle the Bard published the story, but somehow his version twisted the truth. Death was portrayed as the villain, tricking the brothers and killing the elder two. Death was used to these types of portrayals. People feared death so it was only natural. He couldn't he understand the part where he "searched for the brother for many years, he was never able to find him." Death's job was busy at it is. Why would he search for one person when it was more practical to wait for the hourglasses?

**Oh well. What can I expect from a world that spins?**


End file.
